SUSPENDED schoolchildren are harassing their former classmates and creating a drain on police resources, a senior officer has revealed.

And Accrington police, who are prosecuting the nuisances, are calling on parents to clamp down.

Officers are regularly called out on weekdays to deal with gangs of 13 to 15 year-olds who return to their former schools to disrupt classes.

In one incident a gang scattered secondary school students on a cross country run and traffic police on motorbikes had to chase the group away.

The force's Inspector Bob Ford said: "Lately excluded pupils have become an increasing problem at their former schools."

"They are going back and causing a great deal of disruption to classes. But the police and the education department can only do so much.

"I would appeal to the parents of these children to be more aware of the problem and do something about it."

Insp Ford added: "They are also hanging around the town centre during the day and there is an increasing risk of petty crime. It is wasteful of police time and very frustrating."

Neil Thornley, National Association of Headteachers National Council member for Lancashire and Rochdale, said much of the blame should be laid at parents' doors.

But added there was a desperate need for some sort of assessment centre where excluded pupils can be sent.

He added: "HeadM-Bteachers only exclude pupils as a last resort. They must consider the welfare of others in the class.

"In many cases there is little support for the child's home and this puts schools under even more pressure.

These trouble-makers are a sizeable minority and now police are having to pay the price for a lack of school facilities."

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